Process for preparing a reagent for the treatment of liquids



Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITE, STATES PROCESS FOR PREPARING A REAGENT FOR THE TREATIVIENT OF LIQUIDS Oliver M. Urbain, Columbus, 0hio, assignor to Charles H. Lewis, Harpster, Ohio No Drawing. Original application May 5, 1938,

Serial No. 206,281. Divided and this application July 13,1940, Serial No. 345,430

1- Claim. (Cl. 252-179) This invention relates to novel materials for the treatment of potable and polluted liquids. Specifically, this invention contemplates materials for the treatment of such liquids comprising reagents produced by the treatment of asphaltic materials with sulfuric acid at low temperatures. v I It is an object of this invention to provide materials which are effective in the removal of tastes, odors and colors from liquids. It is a fur ther object of this invention to provide materials with which there may be'efie'cted cation or base exchange properties as well the properties of- 1 removing'tastes, odors and colors from water.

exchange. Additionally, an object of'this invention is to provide materials which may be employed for the purification-of sewage and industrial wastes.

The materials prepared in accordance with this disclosure are specifically adapted to the removal of hardness from waters and the removal of tastes; odors and'colors, particularly those resulting from organic compounds in truesolution, from liquids.

The term "potable water is intended to applyto water adapted for domestic consumption by.

the inhabitants of a community. The term polluted water is intended to embrace sewage and industrial wastes which possess a detrimental biochemical oxygen demand, B. 0. D., due to the presence of organic compounds therein.

In the purification of potable waters, three factors are of primary importance; namely, first,

sanitary quality; second, absence'of odors; and, third, hardness. I

In the purification of polluted waters, certain tastes and additional requirements are present, It is necessary to efiect removal of organic compounds pres ent in true solution in the water, particularly where such compounds impart an pnsightly color to the water. Dyes fall in the latter category.

I have found that certainnovel materials,

hereinafter referred to as sulfate d asphaltic materials. prepared in accordance with the follow ing description; maybe utilized to free potable and polluted'waters of their hardness due to calcium and magnesium salts and to' remove the tastes; odorsv and colors'of such waters-[due to organic compounds present in true solutions, as

. well. as to'ir'nprove the sanitary quality thereof.

I have found that certain solid and semi-solid bitumens and pyrobitumens, which I term asphaltic materials-when treated with sulfuric acid at approximately room temperature, yield water insoluble sulfonation products which are characterized in that they possess remarkable cation By the term asphaltic material is meant those bituminous substances termed asphalts, asphaltites, and asphaltic pyrobitumens. 'I'he' term'-.asphalts includes a species ofv bitumenandalso certain pyrogenous substances, or dark color, var

v iable hardness, comparatively non-volatileycomposed principally of hydrocarbons, substantially free from oxygenated bodies; containingl :rela--"- tively little to no crystallizable'paramns; 'somee.

times associated with mineral matter, -the nonmineral constituents being fusible, and largely soluble in carbon'disulfide yielding water insoluble sulfonation products. tites includes that species of bitum'ens having similar properties to theasphalts exceptthatthe non-mineral constituents are dificultly fusible; The term asphaltic pyrobitumens r'efers-to -'those substances which when subjectedto'heator, fire will generate; or become transformed {into bodies resembling bitumens, and which ar'd'ark colored; comparatively hard and non-volatile solids; composed of hydrocarbons,- substantially free from oxygenated bodies: sometimes associated with mineral matter, the non-mineral constituents being infusible and largely insolublein carbon disulfide. a

It will be seen thatcommon characteristics of the class of bituminous substances whichI term asphaltic materials are their semi-solid to solid consistency and their substantial freedom mm contained oxygenated bodies. lncludedyamong the materials embraced by this term areathe,

native asphalts such as those occurring naturally in a pure or fairly pure state and those associated naturally with a substantial proportion ofmineral matter, the pyrogenous asphalts such.

as residues obtained from distillation, blowing, etc., of petroleum and the ,pyrogenous treatment'of wu-rtzilitewthe asphaltites such as-gili sonite, glance pitch, and grahamite; and-the asi I phaltic pyrobitumens such as elaterite, .wu'rtzilite, albertite, impsonite, andthe asphaltic pyrobi-l tuminous shales. All of these materials, when treated with sulfuric acid in accordance with the procedure tobe described hereinbelow, yleldma terials which are effective forthe treatmentrof- I liquids in accordance with my processl Such materials are embraced by.the hereinafterf'employed term sulfated asphaltic materials.

This class of bituminous substances is clearly I l distinguishable from other bituminous substances such as the non-asphaltic' pyrobitumenspwhich contain oxygenated-bodies, and the "petroleums The term asphal- 4 materials are also clearly distinguishable from bituminous tars and pitches, both of which yield tion reagents, asphaltic materialsyas hereinabov'e defined; are treated with commercial sulfuric acid. The materials are first granulated to proacid treating step,- the temperature of the mass will rise somewhat. As the-acid-reactswith the action is completed 'inappr'oximately one hour;

,after which the curd is removed and thoroughly used for the p 'ishedproduct will be found to possess excel ent theyasphaltic materials are responsible for the belief upon tliefact that I have found the native asphalts, the native asphaltites, and the natural 7 1y occurring asphaltic pyrobitulnens to be some-;' I

. I' 1 which are of liquid consistency. The asphaltic water soluble sulfonation products and which are of liquid to viscousconsiste'ncy and of variable composition. V

The' sulufonation products obtained fromthebituminous substances embraced bythe term asphaltic materials, as herein defined. have been found to possess much higher purification and asec h "fwhat superior to the pyrogenousk btained by heat treatment of petroleuni andp bitumens; It is believed thattlie application jot heat causes a lossin the volatile constituents. and

cation exchangeproperties than other sulfated' bituminous. materials. It is'believed that this is due to the fact that these materials are substantially free fromoxygenatedbodieabf semisolid andsolid consistency and relatively none volatile. p

' In the preparation of these new liquid purificaduce a relatively fine powder whichwill range from approximately 10 to mesh. The granu---' lated materials are then slowly added .to concentrated sulfuric acidwith constant agitation. The sulfuric acid is always employeclin substanoi. the asphaltic materials 'and it is important that thetemperature of the reaction be"con-' trolled to prevent the. reaction rising mu'chin excess. of 10 'to 15 degrees, though during the asphaltic materials, a-curd is formed; The re--.

washed with water. It..can thenbe broken up and further washed'witli water until completely. free of acid. It may then. be dried at a temperature of about 105 C. and is theiiready for, use. The sulfuric acid-employed.and!remaining after the re oval of the curd may-be again eparatio'n of new suliatedasphaltic material.

This treatment results in theeproduction of a .product, the weightof which is'from so to greater than the weight of, the original asphaltic material employed. The volume' of the finished product is from three to four timestliat of the original asphaltic material. It is believed.

a corresponding increase 1 in the, flxd 1 have found that. the cation exchang car of my reagents is in inverse ratio tothe flxed'car bon content thereof. llccordinglyrltisofie of the purposes ofmy invention; to avoid lexcessivejheat treatment of the asphaltic materials employed in order, to maintain. a low flxed-carboncontcnt ftherein.

'In place of sulfuric acid. I have found that v suitable water purification materials, may be re; 'pared by treating asphaltic materials with: other sulfon'ation reagents, following. the procedure 7 above described.; For examples mixtureof'sul furic acid and halo-sulfonic acid,la"mixtur H .chlormsulfonic acidand sulfuric. acid. em

. tial excess of the-demand by the asphaltic ma- .terials. It is important that no extraneous heat be applied during the. sulfuric acid treatment A 1 potable waters, and the removal In the application of the process-to the sulfonic acidalone, or suliuryl chloride ina be employed as the sulfating reagent: p .1 1 7 ment of liquids, either of two methodsmay be employed: one," the liquid to be treated maybe passed through a filter charged :with sulfated asphaltic'm'aterials; or, two, the powdered s a fated-asphaltic material mayabeiaddedito liquid with agitation in* advan I. tion'al coagulationstep. Q n I For theexchange ofcationathetreatm t q odors from liquids, the former .methodvis'pra con enjferred. In suchycasesa period of contact-fro approximately '5to 10 minutes will be found out ficient. 'For .thetreatment of'in'diistrial wastes,

: exchangeof cations."

sulfated in accordance h vcedure. The'granular. material, aftergdrying particularly'the removal of dyes, etc... the latter method is preferred. \The' use got: m preferred materials for,sewage purification is best carried out by the second of these methods;

The foliowingillustrative examples indicatet adaptation of sulfated asphaltic inaterials processes for the purification of. liquids and th mmiu An Egyptian wariety of natural asphalt as with the foregoing p a temperature of about .C.,'.was.added water .containing-320.0 parts permillionof tem porary hardness determinedascalcium carbo that the'tremendous increase-in volume imparts to the finished product a remarkable capacity; 7

.for'the removal of tastes; odors and colors. as

well as for the exchange'o'f cations. The fin physical structure having; when. viewdunder a microscope, theappearance of large spongy granules.

I regard the avoidance oi'jhe' employment of heat as a critical factor since I havefound that ate. Approx'imately {pounds oi'flthesuli'ated natural was added-perj thousand a1 lons of water andthe. mixture was asitatectfo period of approximately Ill-minutes." The was then passed; through a'fllteratqremo th" .reagentt- Asu sequem determination-of poi-aryhardness of the 'filtrate' 'indicated the this had been reduced froni'320.0 partsper 7 .lionl'to 32.0 parts per million. 3 .The .extreinely where sulfating of the asphaltic materials is effected at temperatures, of the order of the fusing point, or C., the. resulting material is as Z much as 75 to 80% less eiflient than are the. sulfated asphaltic material s prepared at approximately room temperature. It is my belief. that the naturally occurringvolatile constituents in emcient water purification properties of such as-' phaltic materials, when-sulfated, and care should bertaken to. retainthese constituents. I base this"- the sulfated natural 3 a high reduction-din hardnessgcontentsis [,belie attributable to the :cation exchange s pacity .o

I A sulfatedlasphaltite, prepared vby ing, as above described. of a. V I gilsonite (such as. that found juUtah) .ingranu lar formof about" 10 wasiplaced in a Through treated iniExample liicontaining A 320.0 arts per niilllori or t i 'por ry found to be approximately 40.0 parts per million. These examples show that the sulfated asphaltic materials possess anextremely high capacity for the removal of temporary hardness from water.

Example 3 parts per million. It was thus seen that a py- .rogenous asphalt, when sulfated, possessed some cation exchange properties.

Example 4 A rock asphalt, i. e., a native asphalt associated with mineral matter such as sand, sandstone, limestone, etc., which had been refined by a distillation process, was sulfated in accordance with the foregoing procedure. After drying at 105 C., the granular sulfated refined asphalt was added to a water containing 320.0 parts per million of temporary hardness. After agitation and filtration, the filtrate was tested and found to contain approximately 260.0 parts per million of temporary hardness.

The results of the' above example indicate that the naturally occurring asphaltic materials when sulfated have a greater base exchange capacity than do those asphaltic materials which have been heat treated. However, because of the availability of the latter as by-products from a num-- ber of commercial operations, it is believed that their utilization, when sulfated, as cation exchange materials, ls commercially practicable.

Example 5 Sulfated gilsonite as used'in Examplefz above,

was added to a putrescible water containing a Example 6 An unused portion of the same putrescible colored liquid utilized in Example 5 was treated with a sulfated residual asphalt originally produced by the steam distillation of an asphaltic petroleum. After agitation and filtration of this liquid, the eflluent was found to be entirely free from color, taste and odor, and to have a materially reduced B. 0,.D.

The .sulfated asphaltic materials employed in the above described liquid purification processes may be regenerated by washing with a solution of hydrochloric acid or inorganic chlorides' Re-.

generation with a, 5% solution of hydrochloric acid replaces an hydrogen ion in the exchange position in, the reagent. Regeneration with a sodium chloride solution of approximately 5 to 10% concentration replaces a sodium ion in the exchange position of the reagent.

When; the sulfated asphaltic material has been thus regenerated, it is found to possess the same capacity for removal of temporary hardness and organic solidsin true solution as did the originally produced sulfated asphaltic material.

This application is a division of my copending application, Seria1 No. 206,281, filed May 5, 1938, now Letters Patent No. 2,208,171, issued July. 18, 1940.

It is to be expressly understood that the foregoing description and examples are illustrative only and are not to be considered as limiting this invention beyond the scope of the subjoined I K claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A process for the preparation of a water-insoluble reagent for use in the treatment of potable and polluted liquids to remove tastes, odors and colors therefrom which comprises granulating asphaltic material, selected from the group consisting of natural asphalt, asphaltite, and asphaltic pyrobitumen, to a. particle size ranging from 10 to 50-mesh, slowly adding the powdered asphaltic material to a substantial excess of concentrated sulfuric acid with constant agitation, controlling the temperature of the reaction to prevent a temperature rise in substantial excess of -10-15 C., and washing and drying the reaction product at a temperature of about C.

OLIVER M. URBAIN. 

